"Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail," by Cheryl Strayed.

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

This book was our December 2014 choice for our book club. I had been looking forward to reading this since I had joined the club as this is my type of book, and I wasn't disappointed. I had read a similar book about a man who had lost his wife to cancer and decided to walk the Appalachian Trail to also to "find himself," Hiking Through: One Man's Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail by Paul Stutzman I did find Paul's book better, but each one had better parts to it.

In Cheryl's case I wasn't sure if I should call her brave or just plain stupid. As some of the things she did just made me want to smack her and say "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING"!!!! However what she did do many a person wouldn't or couldn't have done. Losing most of your toe nails wouldn't be my idea of fun. Carrying your weight in things you need wouldn't be fun either; but the scenery and the peace to reflect on life would be a once in a lifetime experience.

This book got mixed reviews at our book club meeting. Although the majority of the people enjoyed the book; it was said that some poetic licence had been taken with certain parts. As this happened a few years ago and the book was written recently, so the memory can change things.

The one thing we did all agree on, is that we want to see the movie. That will be another book club outing for us all.

Stars out of 5 : 4 It was an enjoyable read, and I am glad I read it, but take some things she says with a grain of salt!!

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"All Saints," by Michael Spurlock and Jeanette WindleThe True Story Behind the Powerful Film ALL SAINTSNewly ordained, Michael Spurlock's first assignment is to pastor All Saints, a struggling church with twenty-five devoted members and a mortgage well beyond its means. The best option may be to close the church rather than watch it wither any further. But when All Saints hesitantly risks welcoming a community of Karen refugees from Burma--former farmers scrambling for a fresh start in America--Michael feels they may be called to an improbable new mission.

Michael must choose between closing the church and selling the property--or listening to a still, small voice challenging the people of All Saints to risk it all and provide much-needed hope to their new community. Together, they risk everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all.

Discover the true story that inspired the film while also diving deeper into the background of the Karen people, the ch…

"Fault Lines," by Thomas LockeThere isn't much that can throw Charlie Hazard off balance. But the mystery woman with the striking eyes and the intense request to follow her--now--is about to shake his world. Knowing little more than her name, Charlie leaves his post as a guard at the Satellite Beach community center for what he thinks is just another risk-containment job. But Gabriella, an experimental psychologist, has far more in store for him than protection duty--if the two of them survive the test.

Reese Clawson relishes her work at the Combine and all the perks and power that come with it--including the ability to manipulate perceptions. But the Combine never anticipated this mind-shifting technology. If Gabriella's experiments succeed, the Combine would be destroyed. And Reese will never allow that to happen.

The sign of a good book in my humble opinion, is when you can't stop thinking about the book, both during and after reading it. It's a page turner…

"The Two Of Us," by Victoria BylinAfter two broken engagements, Mia Robinson is done with dating. From now on, she's focusing on God and her goal to join an international aid organization as a nurse practitioner. But when her 18-year-old sister, Lucy, calls with an invitation to her Vegas wedding, it throws a wrench into Mia's plans.

Jake Tanner has recovered from the injuries he sustained as a police officer--on the outside. Inside, he's yet to heal from losing his partner in the tragedy, but finds some solace in keeping an eye on her young adult son, Sam, who's asked him to be best man at his wedding.

Mia expects a mess when she arrives to sort out the situation with Lucy, but she wasn't expecting Jake, who views the marriage a little differently. As Jake's and Mia's lives slowly become more intertwined, could his courage and her caring heart be enough to bring them a lifetime of healing?